A must-read for all young women so as to remind us what our mothers and grandmothers faught so hard for and to also remind us of our responsibility to our own children and young women of the future. Manifesta is inspiring and the kick-in-the-butt that every young inactive feminist needs. ( )

Baumgardner and Richards are often considered the faces of third wave feminism, and this manifesta proves that they have earned the title. While some may argue the women go too far (defending Hello Kitty) and others not far enough (tepid criticism surrounding Katie Rophie), I believe that the authors do exactly what feminism intended in the first place: give you the facts and let you make your own decision. ( )

This is one of the staple books of third wave feminism. It's an important book and should be read.

With that said, it took me nearly three tries to read this book, as I was prone to thowing it across the room and screaming obscinities. I saw Baumgardner and Richards speak and felt the same way after their talk. I think there are some points of feminist history that they are sorely missing and that would round the book out and give it more credibility for me than it currently holds. ( )

Wikipedia in English (2)

A powerful indictment from within of the current state of feminism, and a passionate call to arms

From Lilith Fair to Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the WNBA--everywhere you look, girl culture is clearly ascendant. Young women live by feminism's goals, yet feminism itself is undeniably at a crossroads; "girl power" feminists appear to be obsessed with personal empowerment at the expense of politics while political institutions such as Ms. and NOW are so battle weary they've lost their ability to speak to a new generation. In Manifesta, Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards show the snags in each feminist hub--from the dissolution of riot grrrls into the likes of the Spice Girls, to older women's hawking of young girls' imperiled self-esteem, to the hyped hatred of feminist thorns like Katie Roiphe and Naomi Wolf--and prove that these snags have not, in fact, torn feminism asunder.

In an intelligent and incendiary argument, Baumgardner and Richards address issues instead of feelings and the political as well as the personal. They describe the seven deadly sins the media commits against feminism, provide keys to accessible and urgent activism, discuss why the ERA is still a relevant and crucial political goal, and spell out what a world with equality would look like. They apply Third Wave confidence to Second Wave consciousness, all the while maintaining that the answer to feminism's problems is still feminism.